Podcast appearances and mentions of anna holligan

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Canada, Mexico, Myanmar and the NetherlandsAn increasing number of Americans - especially young men - are converting to the Russian Orthodox Church, enticed by its embrace of unabashed masculinity and traditional family values. Lucy Ash met some recent converts in Texas.The diplomatic fallout between the US and Canada continues over Donald Trump's repeated desire to make Canada the 51st state. The issue was forefront in Canadian minds as King Charles visited Ottawa this week, with locals looking for signs of support for the country's sovereignty. Royal correspondent Sean Coughlan watched the King walk a diplomatic tightrope.Mexico will become the first country in the world to elect its entire judiciary by direct vote, following a controversial reform last year. Will Grant went to Ciudad Juarez to meet a candidate who has had doubts raised over her suitability as a judge after she once defended notorious drug lord, El Chapo.Chinese criminal gangs have established lucrative scam centres in Myanmar, staffed by workers lured from across the world with the promise of well-paid work. Once there, they face exploitation and no way home. Olivia Acland tells the story of one man from Sierra Leone, who was tricked into con trade.More than a quarter of journeys in the Netherlands are made by bike – which made it all the more maddening for correspondent Anna Holligan, when she recently had her bike stolen in The Hague. But the experience had an upside, as she discovered the softer side to the pragmatic Dutch, who understood the nature of her loss.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

BBC foreign correspondent in the Netherlands, Anna Holligan, speaks to David Van Weel, the Dutch justice minister as he calls on citizens to prepare a 72-hour emergency kit - to enable people to be self-sufficient for three days in case of a disaster. The kits should include enough food and water to survive for 72 hours - in case of war and other catastrophes. It's part of a European-wide strategy as geopolitical uncertainty spreads globally.He tells us the nature of the risks and where they're coming from and whether Europe should still feel reassured about NATO defence. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Anna Holligan Producer: Clare Williamson Editor: Sam Bonham Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.Image: David van Weel (Credit: Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

The International Criminal Court has been in the spotlight recently after it issued several arrest warrants for both Hamas and Israeli officials involved in the Israel-Gaza war. Following this, US President Donald Trump announced sanctions against the court and Hungary also accused them of being ‘politically biased”.Based in the Dutch city of The Hague, the court was established in 2002 and has the power to bring prosecutions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. But how does it all work? And what powers does the ICC have? Anna Holligan, a BBC correspondent, based in the Netherlands tells us all the information you need to know to understand what's happening with the ICC.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

On 15 Oct 2024, a 27-year-old cyclist was killed in a bike lane in Paris. His name was Paul Varry. He was run over by a car after an argument with a driver. What happened to Paul was extreme, but it resonated with many Parisians. For Paris is undergoing a cycling revolution. The city has created a vast network of bike lanes, introduced new restrictions for cars. The number of cyclists has soared. But there have also been conflicts, as cars, bikes and pedestrians try to navigate the new balance of power. So is Paris's plan working? Is this transformation the future for other major cities? Anna Holligan goes to Paris for Assignment, to find out.

The illegal drug trade is booming in Europe due to a growing and profitable demand for cocaine. It can be sold for almost double the price you can get for it in the US. Belgium and the Netherlands have been named as the new cocaine capitals, as the major container ports there have been infiltrated by drug smuggling gangs, and the US market becomes saturated and turns to opiates instead.But how does cocaine get to Europe? And who's operating these gangs? We speak to two journalists who've been looking at the illegal drug trade in Europe; Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in the Netherlands, and Gabriel Stargardter, a Reuters journalist in Paris.As more drugs are routed to Europe, countries in West and Central Africa are increasingly being used as key transit zones. Lucia Bird from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime tells us what impact it's having on those countries.Plus David Hillier, a freelance British journalist, explains what kinds of illegal drugs Europeans are currently taking. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La Falce

Oil giant Shell wins ruling that it does not have to comply with specific targets to reduce its carbon emissions. Roger Hearing hears from our correspondent in the Hague, Anna Holligan, about what the ruling means for the industry. We find out how the wine industry is being impacted by extreme weather events and climate change. Plus we look at the rise and fall of the Bio-Tech company ‘23 and Me', as it's set to lay off 40% of its workforce

Some of the world's biggest carbon emitters - including the EU, India and Indonesia - have just had elections. Will the results change their climate policies?Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar are joined by Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in the Netherlands; Carl Nasman, BBC climate journalist based in Washington; and BBC climate reporter Esme Stallard.Producers: Ben Cooper and Graihagh Jackson Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts Sound mix: Tom Brignell

Anna Holligan spends time with Dutch Muslim Nora Akachar, whose world was turned upside down with the traditional progressive country voted for right-wing politician Geert Wilders. Nora is left questioning her identity and what it means for her to be Muslim in the Netherlands today.

Kate Adie introduces stories from Haiti, Chad, the Netherlands, Palau and Mexico. Haiti remains mired in crisis, with the capital in the grip of gang violence - more than 350,000 people have been displaced. Will Grant reports from Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic, where he has witnessed the growing desperation among people flocking to find food and supplies and escape the violence.It's nearly a year since civil war erupted in Sudan between rival military forces - more than a million have fled to neighbouring countries, including Chad. Mercy Jumar covered the refugee crisis there last year and now returns to the border town of Adre.Despite his dramatic win in the 2023 elections, Dutch far-right populist Geert Wilders has abandoned his bid to become the next prime minister. After weeks of negotiations to try to form a coalition, he realised he couldn't convince other parties to serve under him. Anna Holligan explains what happened.Western Pacific watchers have continued to warn that China is trying to gain more of a footing with the ocean's island nations that control large swathes of it. Frey Lindsay reports from Palau in the Western Pacific, which has long-standing ties to the US, but is increasingly being courted by China.From Parma ham to Cheddar cheese, Darjeeling tea to Islay whiskey, there are many fabulous foods and delicious drinks from around the world that help put towns, cities and regions on the map. But, often these places have a reputation for more than just one thing. As Proinsias O'Coinn discovered when he travelled to a world-famous town in Mexico.

It has been almost two years since the death of The Wanted star Tom Parker after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in 2020 aged 33. His wife, Kelsey Parker, announced last month that, after a lot of reflection, it was time to take off her wedding rings. Kelsey tells Anita Rani about the decision and how she has dealt with her grief. The Ukrainian government says it has identified 20,000 children who have been abducted by Russian forces. This week saw 11 Ukrainian children reunited with their families. The BBC's Hague Correspondent, Anna Holligan, and filmmaker Shahida Tulaganova, who directed the ITV documentary Ukraine's Stolen Children, discuss. Wicked Little Letters is a new black comedy film set in Littlehampton in the 1920s. It follows two neighbours, deeply conservative Edith Swan played by Olivia Colman and rowdy Irish single mother Rose Gooding played by Jessie Buckley. When Edith and other residents begin to receive poisonous pen letters full of obscenities, potty mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The director, Thea Sharrock joined Emma Barnett to discuss this true story, and the parallels with trolling on social media today. How do black girls and women experience education in Britain today? Sociologist Dr April-Louise Pennant of Cardiff University joined Emma to discuss why Black Caribbean girls are excluded from school at double the rate of white girls and why intersectionality means the issue of afro hair continues to affect black girls' education today. She explores these issues and more in her book, Babygirl, You've Got This! Experiences of Black Girls and Women in the English Education System. The comedy and acting star Aisling Bea grew up in County Kildare in Ireland and in 2011 became the first woman for 20 years to win the prestigious stand-up competition So You Think You're Funny? She spoke to Emma about her latest show, Alice and Jack.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

This week marks two years since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's government says it has identified 20,000 children who have been abducted by Russian forces. Now Qatar has brokered the third and largest deal, which will see eleven Ukrainian children reunited with their families. Emma speaks to the BBC's Hague Correspondent, Anna Holligan and film maker Shahida Tulaganova, who directed the ITV documentary, Ukraine's Stolen Children.Wicked Little Letters is a new black comedy film set in Littlehampton in the 1920s. It follows two neighbours, deeply conservative Edith Swan played by Olivia Colman and rowdy Irish single mother Rose Gooding played by Jessie Buckley. When Edith and other residents begin to receive poisonous pen letters full of obscenities, potty mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The director, Thea Sharrock, joins Emma.A new scientific paper from researchers at Stanford University using AI has shown the ability to spot consistent differences between men and women's brains. Gina Rippon,  neuroscientist and author of The Gendered Brain & Professor Melissa Hines, director of the Gender Development Research Centre at the University of Cambridge join Emma.How much do you know about your female ancestors? There's a growing trend in finding out more about our family histories – but it's harder to find details about women than men. Founder and director of the genealogy service Eneclann, Fiona Fitzsimons and Ailsa Burkimsher who successfully campaigned for mothers' names to be on marriage certificates join Emma.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Thailand became the first Asian country to make cannabis legal back in June 2022. They are one of the very few nations in the world to let people use the drug recreationally. Farmers switched from wheat to weed and cannabis cafes have popped up all over the country.However, before even reaching the two-year mark, the Thai government led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's populist Pheu Thai party, looks set to reverse the decision and outlaw the drug.BBC Thai reporter Tossapol Chaisamritpol explains how the public are feeling about the government's direction, how it will impact the cannabis business and how the drug is being used in Thai cuisine, including tom kha gai and tom yum soup. The Netherlands is also reconsidering its relationship with the drug. The popular tourist destination city Amsterdam has long been known for its red light district and cannabis hotspots, despite the fact that the drug is technically illegal in the European country. After complaints from residents about rowdy visitors ruining their home town, the local government has placed restrictions on cannabis and other red light district related activities, including a ‘Stay Away' campaign targeted at certain tourists.The BBC's correspondent in the Netherlands, Anna Holligan, tells us about how life is changing in Amsterdam.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Alex Rhodes and Adam Chowdhury Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

While Israel is pursuing its war against Hamas in Gaza, the International Court of Justice in the Hague has begun hearings on whether Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories since the Six Day War in 1967 is legal. More than 50 states will present arguments before the 15 judges throughout the week, following a 2022 request from the U.N. General Assembly for an advisory, or non-binding, opinion. Israel is not attending the hearings, but last June, it warned the Court that an advisory opinion would be harmful to any negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The BBC's Hague correspondent, Anna Holligan, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Harry Palmer created Avatar after his presidency of the Church of Scientology's Elmira Mission ended in the mid-1980s, as a result of legal proceedings around trademark infringement. Avatar says that it aims to create an 'enlightened planetary consciousness' or EPC through its courses, which are expensive and numerous. Former students say they have been left with massive debts as a result of their attendance.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now, and you can order Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album here. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Head here to enter our competition to win a pair of ATH-SQ1TW Wireless Earbuds!Links:Who is Harry Palmer? — archived founder bio on former Avatar website, May 2006Living Deliberately: The Discovery and Development of Avatar — by Harry Palmer, Star's Edge International, 1994Harry Palmer's Scientology Mission, Star's Edge, and Avatar — special report series by Lisa Bennett, Elmira Star-Gazette, 2-7 February 1988We'd like to welcome you to 'enlightenment' — by Russell Blackstock, NZ Herald, 17 August 2014Interview with Margie - Ex-Scientology / Avatar | The Origins of the Avatar Course - Part 1 and Part 2 — Avatar Uncovered YouTube channel, 15 & 19 January 2018Avatar Uncovered — website maintained by former Avatar Master Amanda Reed, accessed January 2024An Interview With Harry Palmer — by Matt Ding, HP Magazine, 1996, interview excerpt archived from About Harry Palmer websiteAvatar: Scientology-style sect causes concern in Netherlands — by Anna Holligan, BBC News, 31 March 2018 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the individual costs of the EU's Green Deal are becoming clearer, many people across Europe say they are unwilling or unable to pay the price associated with it. Anna Holligan explores the increasing popularity of anti-green political parties across the continent. She talks to dairy farmers in the Netherlands, who fear government green targets would endanger a sector which makes the country the world's second biggest exporter of food. She also travels to Bremen in Germany where concern over the phasing out of new gas and oil boilers for houses, dubbed the “heating hammer” by the nation's tabloids, has lead to the government slowing down the pace of change.In the meantime, the city's Green Party vote fell by almost half in recent local elections while Citizens in Rage, which is highly sceptical about how green deal policies are being implemented, came from almost nowhere to capture close to ten per cent of the vote. The experiences in both countries suggests that the political consensus that seemed to exist only four years ago when the EU announced its Green Deal targets seems to have broken down. What might the possible repercussions be on Europe's politics and its approach to tackling climate change? Produced by Bob Howard.

In 2013 Iceland made history by becoming the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with China. It was aimed at increasing exports from Iceland to China as well as opening up Iceland to cheaper Chinese consumer goods. Geothermal energy has meant that Iceland is effectively carbon neutral. Its expertise in this area has led to collaboration with China and its geothermal model is changing China's energy mix. One man behind this collaboration is Atli Jonsson, CEO of Arctic Green Energy. Anna Holligan asks him how will geothermal help shape the future needs of China's energy consumption and open further opportunities for collaboration? Iceland and China have also steadily increased their scientific co-operation in the Arctic. In October 2018, the China-Iceland Arctic Science Observatory was officially opened in the city of Karholl, 440 km north of Reykjavík. Set up to monitor climate and environmental change in the Arctic, the observatory is managed by the Polar Research Institute of China and Iceland's Institute of Research Centres. Station manager Halldor Johannsson explains the impact this collaboration has on Iceland.Presenter: Anna Holligan Producer: Peter Shevlin Editor: Alan Hall A C60Media production for BBC World Service(Photo: The aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, is seen over Godafoss waterfall, east of Akureyri, northern Iceland. Credit: Mariana Suarez/AFP)

Kate Adie introduces dispatches from South Africa, Syria, the Netherlands and Germany.Fergal Keane reported from South Africa during the country's difficult transition to democracy after the end of apartheid. He revisits some familiar neighbourhoods and reflects on what happened to the hope and ambition that gripped the country at the time.Four years after Islamic State was defeated in Syria, thousands of children whose parents supported the group, are living in camps and detention centres with their mothers. Poonam Taneja met some of the children with uncertain futures, still hoping for a return to a normal life.The Dutch far-right populist leader Geert Wilders swept to a surprise victory in parliamentary elections last month, but there is still no guarantee he will become prime minister. Housing, immigration and the cost of living dominated the election campaign. Anna Holligan spoke to voters in the seaside suburbs of The Hague.Germany's plans for its much-vaunted ‘green energy transition' are in deep water after a ruling by the country's constitutional court blew a 60 billion euro hole in the project's finances. Meanwhile German voters are questioning the cost of going green. Bob Howard was in Bremen.Series producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

After populist politician Geert Wilders wins the most seats in the Netherlands election, we ask if his success is part of a broader European pattern. We also explore why voters are turning away from mainstream politics with our correspondent in the Netherlands, Anna Holligan, and Professor Timothy Garton Ash.The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC experts around the world, with Katya Adler. We're keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. #TheGlobalStory We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story.Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note on WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. Today's episode of The Global Story was made by Alice Aylett Roberts and Beth Timmins. The technical producers were Phil Bull and Jack Graysmark. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in Amsterdam, brings us the latest.

What is the difference between a war crime, a crime against humanity and genocide? And who holds those responsible to account? Anna Holligan, the BBC's correspondent in The Hague, gives an insight into how the International Criminal Court works. She shares some of the cases of those who have been charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, from Congolese warlord Thomas Lubang to Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak.

From the BBC World Service: As the death toll mounts following the earthquake in Morocco, businesses in Marrakesh are asking tourists not to turn their backs on them. The BBC’s Anna Holligan reports from Marrakesh. Also, with President Biden visiting, Vietnam has ordered $8 billion worth of jets from Boeing. Finally, Vivienne Nunis reports from Manchester, England, where the world’s best florists have congregated for the World Cup of Flowers.

From the BBC World Service: As the death toll mounts following the earthquake in Morocco, businesses in Marrakesh are asking tourists not to turn their backs on them. The BBC’s Anna Holligan reports from Marrakesh. Also, with President Biden visiting, Vietnam has ordered $8 billion worth of jets from Boeing. Finally, Vivienne Nunis reports from Manchester, England, where the world’s best florists have congregated for the World Cup of Flowers.

We get the latest from Anna Holligan, Correspondent with the BBC in the Netherlands

What is the difference between a war crime, a crime against humanity and genocide? And who holds those responsible to account?Anna Holligan, the BBC's correspondent in The Hague, gives an insight into how the International Criminal Court works. She shares some of the cases of those who have been charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, from Congolese warlord Thomas Lubang to Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak.Presenter: Claire Graham Producer: Owen McFadden

This series of podcast-interviews gives researchers from all over Europe a voice. We exchange views from different countries, talk about background specifics, and try to give an honest assessment of the state of the EU. In this episode Hanco Jürgens from Amsterdam explains the political system in the Netherlands, its political culture, and the role the EU plays in Dutch politics. We also talk about the impact of the Russian war against Ukraine on Dutch politics and the German-Dutch relations. Hanco Jürgens is a senior researcher at the Duitsland Instituut Amsterdam, the Germany Institute at the University of Amsterdam, and a fellow at the Montesquieu Institute in The Hague. He specializes in modern European history in a global context. He published on a wide variety of topics, such as the reports of German missionaries in India in the Eighteenth Century, on India and the Enlightenment, German - Dutch relations after the Fall of the Berlin Wall and German and Dutch EU policy. Currently, he is focusing on recent German history since the 1980s. He is particularly interested in the changes of key concepts in Germany such as the social market economy, civil society, civilian power, constitutional democracy, the GDR, the European Union or the Holocaust. In recent years, he published a book on the Netherlands since the Fall of the Wall and coedited a book on Germany within the European Union. As a Dutch expert on German history, he is a regular guest on Dutch radio and television and publishes op-eds in the Dutch quality newspaper NRC Handelsblad, among others about the Zeitenwende in the Netherlands and Germany. Notes: The BBC journalist Hanco Jürgens mentions at the end is Anna Holligan. Here homepage can be found here: https://www.ovgmanagement.com/anna-holligan The two books Hanco Jürgens mentioned are: “Joe Speedboat” by the author Tommy Wieringa. The English translation by Sam Garrett can be found here: https://groveatlantic.com/book/joe-speedboat/ “A Concise History of the Netherlands” by James C. Kennedy: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/concise-history-of-the-netherlands/F5C341B3BCD9FA3F6846BECBC616A696 Moderation: Felix Heidenreich (IZKT) A project produced in cooperation with the Public Library of Stuttgart and Stiftung Geißstraße Stuttgart.

26th May 2023 The Spokesmen Cycling Podcast EPISODE 328: BBC Bike Bureau with Anna Holligan and Kate Vandy (and Jack) SPONSOR: Tern Bicycles HOST: Carlton Reid GUESTS: Anna Holligan and Kate Vandy TOPICS: "Just two journalists building a mobile studio on two wheels" LINKS: https://www.the-spokesmen.com/ https://www.ternbicycles.com https://twitter.com/CarltonReid https://twitter.com/bikebureau https://twitter.com/annaholligan https://twitter.com/kate_vandy https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaholligan/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/katevandy/?originalSubdomain=be

From the BBC World Service: With global markets still reeling from the failure of Silicon Valley bank, we hear from the CEO of HSBC who bought the UK arm for £1 on Monday. BBC Beijing correspondent Stephen McDonnell reports from China where the doors to foreign visitors will open from next week. Plus, is there hidden Nazi gold in a Dutch town? The BBC’s Anna Holligan has been to find out.

From the BBC World Service: With global markets still reeling from the failure of Silicon Valley bank, we hear from the CEO of HSBC who bought the UK arm for £1 on Monday. BBC Beijing correspondent Stephen McDonnell reports from China where the doors to foreign visitors will open from next week. Plus, is there hidden Nazi gold in a Dutch town? The BBC’s Anna Holligan has been to find out.

We've grown used to hearing about potential new treatments for Covid-19 – well here's another. Researchers in Britain have, by chance, discovered that a tablet used to treat liver disease for decades could be repurposed to stop Covid-19 in its tracks. The drug appears to shut a crucial ‘doorway' the virus uses to get into our cells – and scientists are excited about its potential to tackle different variants and provide a low-cost weapon in the pandemic. We hear how researchers used a combination of ‘mini organs', animals and humans to show how it could work – and what needs to happen next to confirm the findings. The BBC's Anna Holligan reports from the cycle-friendly Netherlands on an innovative new bike donation scheme that is being used to break down barriers and improve mental health for refugees and in deprived communities. And Claudia Hammond's guest this week is Dr Graham Easton, a family doctor and professor of clinical communication skills at Queen Mary University of London. He delves into new research that suggests short bursts of vigorous activity could reduce risk of death and finds out which Olympic sports are most likely to cause injuries. Spoiler: It's not the more traditional ones… (Picture: Liver organoid – or ‘mini-liver' – infected with SARS-CoV-2 (red indicates the virus). Photo credit: Teresa Brevini). Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Gerry Holt

Kate Adie presents stories from Russia, the Netherlands, France, Tunisia and the US. A vocal critic of Putin's invasion of Ukraine writes to Sarah Rainsford from Detention Centre no 5 in Moscow. In those letters, he speaks frankly about the damage wrought by the war and his hopes for a better future after Vladimir Putin. The verdict in the trial of three Russians and one Ukrainian suspected of involvement in the shooting down of passenger jet MH17 disaster in 2014 over Eastern Ukraine, was passed down on Friday. Anna Holligan spoke to families of the victims about whether they felt justice had been done. Lucy Williamson has been on patrol with French border police in Calais and Dunkerque, after a migrant deal was struck between the UK and France this week. Despite the media storm in the UK, she found the view looked very different from the French end. Rob Crossan visits the small Tunisian island of Djerba, where Jews and Muslims co-exist peacefully - something of a rareity in the Arab world - and murals in the winding streets reflect the culture of mutual tolerance. And James Clayton has been getting the word on the street in San Francisco, the home of Twitter, after a turbulent week at the social media platform, and he explores the impact of Elon Musk's takeover. Producers: Serena Tarling and Caroline Bayley Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Nigeria is suffering its worst flooding in a decade with 1.4 million people displaced and more than 600 killed. There are now concerns that the country may face catastrophic levels of hunger. The BBC's West Africa correspondent, Mayeni Jones, visited flood-hit Kogi state and reflects on what her journey revealed about the state of the country. The Netherlands is currently lurching from crisis to crisis - including a tense debate over how to accommodate thousands of asylum seekers. In recent weeks, judges ordered the Dutch government to raise the standards in the reception of refugees in line with the European minimum. Anna Holligan visited a reception centre in the country's rural north. Many who fled Iran after the revolution in 1979 had to find their way in new countries, including Israel. Suzanne Kianpour met with a singer who left Iran for Israel as a child and spoke to her about how she managed to adjust to the different culture and her desire to build bridges between enemy countries. Bhutan has kept its borders firmly closed for two and a half years. Now it's re-opened to tourists, and an additional daily tourist tax is set to make it a much more exclusive. Locals who cater for less extravagant budgets are being hit hard, says Michelle Jana Chan. it was just a normal Friday afternoon when tragedy struck the village of Creeslough in county Donegal in Ireland. An explosion at a petrol station killed ten people - with police describing it as a tragic accident. Members of the local community have pulled together in their grief with small acts of kindness, says Chris Page. Presenter: Kate Adie Producers: Serena Tarling and Ellie House Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond Editor: Emma Rippon Photo credit: Ayo Bello, BBC

When a boat carrying a group of Chagos Islanders landed on their homeland this week, it represented return after half a century of exile. The Islands were once part of British-run Mauritius, and in 1972, Britain removed the inhabitants, so it could hand one of the islands over to the United States, to build a military base. The move has been condemned by the International Court of Justice, and by the United Nations, but the UK has so far refused to allow the Islanders back. This week, they took matters into their own hands, and returned by boat for a visit. Andrew Harding was on board. It was in the 1960s that gas was discovered in The Netherlands, and since then, it has provided the country with both cash and energy security. However, some people living near the gas fields claim that the exploration has damaged their homes, and even destroyed them. Anna Holligan has visited the damaged properties, and met the residents who say their lives have been ruined. Kenya's world-wide image is often restricted to wildlife and beaches. However, the country now plays host to one of the most vibrant tech sectors in Africa, with a particular emphasis on putting tech into practice. The aim is to find a development route which does not necessarily copy the heavy industrialisation of wealthier countries. Indeed, Zeinab Badawi says Kenya is already pursuing a greener path, which could make for a more prosperous future. The French-Algerian writer, Fatima Daas has won huge praise for her first book, a semi-autobiographical account of a life attempting to reconcile being a Muslim and Lesbian. Mike Wooldridge joined her for a walk round the Paris neighbourhood where she grew up. Japan's current Prime Minister is the first for many years to live in his official Tokyo residence, and reports claim this is because previous holders of the post were scared the building was haunted. This should not be too surprising, according to Rupert Wingfield-Haye, as Japanese people regularly take account of ghosts when considering where to live.

Every week, every month, thousands of would-be migrants are still turning up at Mexico's border with the United States, hoping to get across. This has a profound effect on the people left behind, the families and wider communities where they grew up. Guatemala, for example, has a population of about sixteen million, and some estimates suggest a million of these have left. Megan Janetsky went there to meet some of the many people who have had to wave their relatives goodbye. It is not only poverty-stricken Latin Americans who go abroad in search of opportunity. This programme depends on people who are working overseas: the foreign correspondents who take up a posting, and then regale us with tales of their adopted countries. Any traveller though will tell you that returning home can also be an interesting experience, the chance to see a once familiar country through fresh eyes. Nick Bryant has just gone back to Australia after eight years, and says that it is not just him who changed during that time away. It started with her going to the police to complain that she had been gang raped; it resulted in a court case, with her in the dock. The case dates back to 2019, when a British student said she had been raped by up to twelve Israelis at a hotel room in Cyprus. She then retracted the allegation, and found herself convicted for making it up. That sentence has now been overturned, by a panel of judges in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. Anna Holligan watched the hearing, and says it focused attention on the way cases of rape and sexual assault are treated in Cyprus. With more than a hundred thousand Russian troops massed on its border, the Ukrainian Army is on high alert, while ordinary citizens are being mobilised for civil defence. In the capital, Kiev, these efforts are being overseen by the city's Mayor, the former world champion boxer, Vitali Klitschko. Colin Freeman met him while he was out campaigning, and ponders now how well he's suited to this new role.

In the summer of 2014, a passenger jet was shot out of the sky over a rural area of Ukraine. Images of suitcases and children's toys strewn around the burning wreckage were beamed and streamed around the world. All 298 people on board were killed. Two thirds of the victims were Dutch and this air disaster is often referred to as the Netherlands 9/11 - likening the impact of the downing of flight MH17 to that of the terror attacks in New York, in terms of the way these unfathomable events ignited a collective grief and national mourning. Four men are on trial for their alleged role in the mass murder. In the most recent hearings, relatives were given an opportunity to share their stories, the ‘victim impact' testimonies, as they were called in court, revealed how this single event had affected so many lives in so many ways and gave a glimpse into how faith has been tested, lost and rediscovered. Anna Holligan has been reporting on this story for the BBC since the day flight MH17 was brought down. She has got to know many of the surviving relatives, some of whom are still struggling to comprehend what happened to their loved ones. To what extent did faith has play a role in their ability to go on after they lost everything? And she speaks to experts about how the public mourning, and global attention has shaped the way in which families sought solace in their faith and found hope in the darkness. (Photo: A religious cross marks the entrance of the village Grabovo, on the site of the flight MH17 disaster, in Grabovo, Ukraine. Credit: Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

History has long seen people protest against government-imposed restrictions, designed to stem pandemics. Meanwhile, opposition to vaccination is as old as vaccination itself. Yet anyone who thought rioting in the face of disease was something consigned to the distant past has had a rude awakening this week. There have been violent protests in Austria and Belgium in response to new Covid-related restrictions. However. the most bitter street battles were seen in The Netherlands, where police at one point fired live rounds. Anna Holligan was there. Ever since the coronavirus first appeared, it has caused social division: between those in favour of and against lockdown, or pro and anti-vaccination, and also between those able to carry on working and those who could not. Yet these splits came at a time when many believe the world was already increasingly polarised, and there were signs of that in Chile this week, where the first round of presidential elections were held. Centrist candidates were eliminated, and the two front runners who got through to the next round are a man who defends some aspects of the military dictatorship let by General Pinochet, and another whose critics accuse of having Communist leanings. Jane Chambers says this has happened partly because many Chilean voters seem to have their minds on the past. While Chile may be split along political lines, the split in Cyprus is geographical. Turkey invaded the island in 1974, leaving it divided between a mainly Turkish speaking part, and one where most are ethnically Greek. However, Cyprus has a third, far smaller community: Maronite Christians, whose ancestors arrived from the Middle East many centuries ago. Adelle Kalakouti grew up in one of the Maronite Christian villages, and says their future is now at risk. Plenty of autocratic leaders have attempted to hand over power to their children, but The Philippines seems to be taking this one step further; two politicians' offspring are attempting to win power on a joint ticket. Presidential elections will be held in The Philippines next year, and one man who has just announced his candidacy is Bongbong Marcos, son of the country's former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. Meanwhile, his running mate, standing for Vice President, is Sara Duterte, whose father, Rodrigo Duterte is The Philippines current President. Howard Johnson has been trying to understand why these family familiars remain popular. When the writer, Tishani Doshi accepted a temporary academic post in Abu Dhabi, she did not expect to end up helping refugees there. But Abu Dhabi has taken in more than eight thousand Afghans, who fled when the Taliban took over their country. One day, Tishani got a call, asking if she could lend them a hand.

Anna Holligan, BBC; Kate Connolly, The Guardian; Tom Kington, The London Times; and Linda Bauld, Edinburgh University

Libya has been marking an anniversary of sorts this week: ten years since the dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was killed, having been toppled from power as part of the Arab Spring. Since then, elections have been held, and a much-delayed election for a new President is due at the end of this year. But few have much faith in this process. Whole swathes of Libya are beyond the control of the national government in Tripoli. So it's perhaps not surprising in these circumstances that some Libyans are nostalgic for the days of Gaddafi's rule, despite the human rights abuses which took place. Among those who remain loyal is the man who was once Gaddafi's advisor, and sometime interpreter. Tim Whewell has been talking to him. Democracy in Libya may be very much a work in progress, but here in Europe, there are some who feel that long-standing democracies are also being threatened. The murder in Britain of the MP, David Amess was described by many as an attack on democracy itself. And that suggestion had echoes from a recent killing in the Peter De Vries was famous as an investigative reporter in the Netherlands. He ignored repeated threats to his life, while he bravely uncovered the power of international criminals. This week, two men went on trial in Amsterdam, accused of murdering him. It was an act the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, said was “an attack on the free journalism so essential for our democracy". But then Mr Rutte has himself had to change his habit of cycling alone through Holland's streets, because he too has received death threats. Anna Holligan reports. During its twenty year presence in Afghanistan, American troops brought in billions of dollars' worth of gear, and quite a lot of it seems to have found its way into the hands of smugglers, who brought it across the border to neighbouring Pakistan. Some of it is still sold furtively in small towns, but one Lahore shopkeeper is making a good living by selling very openly this stolen US Army equipment. Ironically, he considers himself an implacable enemy of all things American, and a supporter of the Taleban. Ali Kazmi went to meet him. With just days to go until the COP26 summit on climate change, there's ever more pressure being applied to countries to explain how they propose to get to net zero or in other words, how to reach the point where they do not contribute any net carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They're being encouraged both to set targets, and to outline what measures they will introduce to reach them. But there's an island in Denmark which has already gone one stage further and become “carbon positive.” Ritula Shah went to Samsoe to find out how they've done it. When you think of ancient mummies, you might think of Egypt, with its famously preserved pharoes and other leading lights of that ancient civilisation. In fact, the oldest mummies in the world were discovered in Chile. They were discovered in 1917 by a German archaeologist, but it took decades for the mummies to be correctly dated, and identified as part of the Chinchorro civilisation. And they're still not on the tourist map, the way that the pyramids and their long dead occupants are. Jane Chambers travelled into the heart of what was once Chinchorro country, to see the mummies for herself.

It's not easy to talk in Tripoli; Palestinian anger over Nizar Banat's death; the MH17 trial in the Netherlands; Rwandan forces in Mozambique; a number plate dispute in the Balkans In Libya, the promise of a new dawn after the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime a decade ago now seems to ring hollow. After its revolution came civil war – as militias proliferated and fought for control. For more than six years the country was split between rival administrations in the east and west. There's been a ceasefire since last year, and an internationally-brokered unity government is now installed. Elections are planned for December. Daily life for Libyans hasn't got much easier though. There are still frequent electricity blackouts, high unemployment – and regular street protests. But Tim Whewell was more struck by a sense of creeping silence. In Ramallah, a military trial has begun this for 14 members of the Palestinian security forces, charged in connection with the death of a prominent critic of the president. Nizar Banat – who was known for his outspoken Facebook posts alleging corruption among the Palestinian political elite – was badly beaten and died shortly after he was taken into custody in June. The official line was that he'd died of natural causes. But his death sparked some of the biggest protests against the Palestinian Authority in years.. Yolande Knell reports on the case - and the public anger it's triggered. Since 2017, Mozambique has been trying to stop a shadowy insurgency in its northern province, Cabo Delgado. The rebels there claim to be affiliated to the Islamic State – but little is known about the group. It started with small-scale, isolated attacks, but the conflict escalated last year, driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. It is estimated that 2,500 people have died in the fighting so far. This March the militants gained the world's attention when they launched attacks in the gas-rich area of Palma, forcing French petroleum giant Total to shut down its operations there. To fight back, Mozambique has called on help from military forces from Rwanda – who now say they've retaken 90% of the province in a month-long operation. The rebels have now been pushed deep into the area's forests - but Mozambique says it is not claiming victory yet. Anne Soy has been to the region with the Rwandan forces. A court in the Netherlands has been hearing emotional testimony from those whose relatives died aboard flight MH17, which was brought down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in 2014. Dutch prosecutors have brought charges against three Russians and a Ukrainian citizen: they are all suspected of having key roles in transporting the missile system used to launch the rocket which hit the plane. None of the men have appeared in court; only one has appointed a team of lawyers. Two-thirds of MH17's passengers were Dutch citizens, and the Netherlands blames Moscow for the attack. Anna Holligan has seen and heard some of the evidence submitted by the bereaved. Armed conflict can break out for all kinds of reasons. But a row over car number plates seems one of the more unlikely flashpoints. Yet in the Balkans this summer, that's exactly what prompted Serbia to put its troops on high alert, Kosovo to deploy its special police – and NATO to step up its peacekeeping activities in the area. As Guy De Launey knows from long experience – it's always important to consider what's on your number plate before you set off on any journey in the region. Producer: Polly Hope

The destructive power of water is often underestimated… until it's too late. Large areas of Europe and China are still reeling from the damage left by some of their worst floods for decades. Across Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, there were over 200 deaths and billions of euros' worth of damage done. Now there are questions over whether this disaster will make voters more concerned about the effects of climate change. Although the Netherlands was least affected by the latest floods, water management is an existential threat for such a low-lying country. Anna Holligan has seen the worry – as well as the wreckage - on the ground there and in Germany. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro was recently briefly admitted to hospital after intestinal problems made him hiccup uncontrollably. He appears to have recovered and has been out and about, talking to the media and to the public. But his political worries are not over – in fact they're only growing more acute. Many of his former allies are beginning to peel away. The country's Senate is now investigating his government's record of decision-making on Covid, from refusing to lock down to failure to procure medical supplies and vaccines. There are allegations swirling of corrupt vaccine-purchasing deals. Yet Mr Bolsonaro can still count on solid support from some of those who helped to elect him. Orla Guerin heard from them in Brasilia. The war between Armenia and Azerbaijan for control of Nagorno Karabakh, is over - for now. The conflict there has flared up repeatedly over more than thirty years, with both countries insisting that the region is legally and historically theirs. In late 2020 Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive – and came out on top this time around, capturing towns and territory with significant help from its regional ally, Turkey. Colin Freeman recently returned to one town which he'd last seen at the centre of a fierce battle. South Africa is counting the costs of a mass outbreak of looting and destruction. In and around the cities of Johannesburg and Durban, businesses and homes were burned and ransacked. The police were fiercely criticised in some places for not doing enough to stop the violence. As well as criminal investigation, the country is now also doing plenty of soul-searching about the root causes of such widespread chaos. Gregory Mthembu-Salter and his family share the national concern, as his wife's side of the family live where the looting was worst, in Kwa Zulu -Natal. The Mexican state of Sinaloa is deeply enmeshed in the drug trade. Profits from organised crime are an important driver of the local economy, especially in the state's capital. In Culiacán , luxury cars can often be seen cruising the streets. Restaurants, bars, and designer fashion outlets all depend on the cash brought in from narcotics. And there's another expensive consumer fixation fuelled by narco culture – widespread plastic surgery. Linda Pressly talked to one of the city's busy cosmetic surgeons. Producer: Polly Hope

The Netherlands is exploring how to safely resume the country's nightlife – by hosting a rave.The European nation has just wrapped up a two day music festival near Amsterdam, where participants had to give a negative Covid test to get in and wear a tag so their movements could be tracked.BBC Journalist Anna Holligan went along to the rave. She told Kate Hawkesby that the Netherlands is currently averaging 7,000 cases a day as the country has taken a more relaxed approach.The rave is one way of testing to see if nightlife can remain open during the rise in cases."The idea is to try and look at how people would act in this environment and whether it will create a spike in cases."LISTEN ABOVE

A Dutch court has ruled Shell Nigeria must pay compensation over a 2004 oil spill. The BBC's Anna Holligan in the Hague brings us the details. Also in the programme, General Motors has announced that it plans to move away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035. Daniel Ives is managing director of Wedbush Securities in New York, and tells us what's behind the move. The BBC's Manuela Saragosa has been finding out why sales of dogs, cats and all sorts of other pets have soared during the pandemic. Plus, this year's virtual Sundance Film Festival is under way. We hear about the potential impact of the event from Blerta Basholli, writer and director of Hive, which is one of the films being featured.

In Delhi, Republic Day is usually a ceremonial occasion celebrated with military parades and cultural pageantry. But this year’s event was marred by violence – as thousands of farmers drove their tractors into New Delhi in an escalation of months of peaceful protests against proposed agricultural reforms. Rajini Vaidyanathan reports from New Delhi. The Netherlands is seeing its worst violence in 40 years with scenes of looting and rioting across the country. The collapse of the government earlier this month, followed by a tightening of restrictions due to Coronavirus has had a destabilising impact. Anna Holligan says the Dutch are wrestling with the disruption to the usual sense of order. The Democratic Republic of Congo is rich in precious minerals such as gold, diamonds and cobalt - but is still one of the poorest countries in the world. For over two decades, rebel groups have fought over mines in the east of the country where thousands of children also toil in the mines. Olivia Acland went to visit one of them Portugal has become one of the European countries hardest hit by the second wave of Covid-19 and another national lockdown has been imposed. Audrey Gillan visited Armona, an island off the coast of the Algarve, which is suffering from tightened travel restrictions and low visitor numbers. Cuba’s Fidel Castro was probably one of the most widely photographed and documented men of his time.. Will Grant has been trying to verify the details of one of those pictures – of Castro as a young man in a sugarcane field – which he needed for a book. It led him to the story of the audacious young German woman who snapped it six decades earlier.

Imagine a ring doughnut. This is the basis of an idea about how we could run the world in a way that gives everyone what they need - food, homes, healthcare and more - and save the planet at the same time. Economist Kate Raworth, who came up with the idea, explains how it works. And we visit projects in Amsterdam that are using the model to provide food, clothing and sustainable housing. Produced and presented by Anna Holligan.

Anna Holligan, BBC Foreign Correspondent, The Netherlands, Sarah Pokorna, Czech Republic, Nuala Goodman, Artist living in Milan, Italy

For Hindus, Sikhs and Jains it's Diwali - the festival of lights. But this year there's the pandemic. What impact is that having in India, asks Rajini Vaidyanathan in Delhi. In Azerbaijan, the decades-long intermittent war with Armenia over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh flared up again in September. Earlier this week, Russia brokered a deal to end the conflict. Olga Ivshina has just returned from the Azeri side of the frontline, where reporters' safety was not just threatened by shelling. The French Caribbean island of Martinique has a difficult relationship with its past. For about two hundred years the colony relied on enslaved Africans to work in its sugar cane plantations. Some think that period might have been shorter if it hadn't been for Josephine, the wife of Napoleon. And as Tim Whewell found, that's not the only sensitive subject of conversation on the island. Bicycles have been recommended as a safe form of transport in the pandemic, and cities around Europe have been improving their cycling infrastructure as a result. Anna Holligan lives in the Netherlands, where cycling is second nature to many, and says that even there, more people are now switching to two wheels. On Mosher Island off the coast of Canada’s Nova Scotia province, self-isolation takes on a different meaning. No need to worry about social distancing, there is no one to keep a distance from. The island only has two residents, a former lighthouse keeper and his wife. Greg Mercer paid them a visit. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

For weeks President Donald Trump downplayed the threat of the coronavirus. The White House carried on with business as usual. But then a few members of staff tested positive for the virus. Anthony Zurcher reports on the impact this has had on both the White House, and on the Trump administration more widely. In Ukraine, it's a year since the new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, came to office. Before he was elected Mr Zelensky had been a comedian and actor, playing a popular fictional president fighting corruption in a TV series. And then he got the job for real. Jonah Fisher reports on how the actor-turned-politician has been getting on. The Dutch have been having “an intelligent lockdown” - to minimise the impact on society and the economy. Only shops such as hairdressers or beauticians had to close. As the lockdown eases Anna Holligan reports on innovative solutions to enable restaurants to open and care home residents to see their families again. In Chile's capital Santiago a very strict lockdown was only imposed a few days ago. This new stress comes after months of social unrest over inequalities in the country. Protestors were promised they could vote for a new constitution, but that’s now been put on hold, as Jane Chambers reports. In Greece, they're celebrating Easter - on the 26th of May. It will be a scaled down version, after the actual Easter in April had to be cancelled, with churches closed for lockdown. Heidi Fuller-Love finds that religion is so important, it's sewn into the seam of life in Crete, and not just a coat to throw on when it's cold. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

It is a time of political change in Poland. The recent general election saw the biggest turnout since 1989 and the end of communism. And gender has become one of the most fraught political issues, with the ruling Law and Justice Party holding up LGBT rights and so-called 'gender ideology' as being enemies to the Polish way of life. Anything that goes against traditional values has the potential of being held as a threat to Polish identity. Tim Samuels and Anna Holligan travel to Warsaw and meet a young man who is struggling to get custody of his son because of what he sees as the prioritising of mothers over fathers; they look at why the far-right is on the rise among young men in Poland, and they go to a Legia Warsaw game to find out what men in Warsaw are really thinking about at this pivotal point for gender relations in Poland. (Photo: A man holds a sign reading We are Polish, we have Polish duties, during the March for Life, an anti-abortion march in Warsaw. Credit: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

Tim Samuels and Anna Holligan travel to Warsaw to find out what's on the minds of men and women. It's a time of political change in Poland. The recent general election saw the biggest turnout since 1989. Gender has become one of the most fraught political issues, with LGBT rights and so-called 'gender ideology' being held up by prominent politicians as threats to the Polish way of life. It has been a challenging time for many women, with a proposed tightening of abortion laws and many women's organisations under threat. We go door to door with the social workers implementing Law and Justice's controversial 500+ policy that pulls women out of poverty while reinforcing traditional family values, we travel out of Warsaw to meet a paramilitary troop, and we look at the changing complexion of dating in a country where relations between men and women are subtly shifting. Producer: Ant Adeane and Barney Rowntree (Photo: Protesters with banner that reads - Freedom - in Gdansk, Poland, 2018. Credit: Getty Images)

Tim Samuels and Anna Holligan travel to Mexico City. As parts of the world go through something of a gender reckoning, have these forces made much of a dent in Mexico? Last time, Anna spent time with women in this sprawling metropolis, hearing how the ever-present threat of violence lingers below the surface for many. In this episode she hears from men. The first wisps of the MeToo movement have belatedly started to blow into Mexico, but this is unlikely to be fertile soil for an outburst of equality. This is a country where six out of 10 women say they have experienced some kind of violence. We hear from a teacher working in one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods of Mexico City, a psychologist, the editor of a men's magazine and the father of a girl who was murdered by her boyfriend. Producers: Barney Rowntree and Ant Adeane (Photo: Men holding a Mexican flag tinted in red symbolising blood during a march for peace and to protest against a wave of violent crimes. Credit: Pedro Pardo/AFP)

Mexico has always felt like a country where men live on their own terms. A place where women strive for equality - and safety. More than nine are murdered in the country every day, according to UN Women. Tim Samuels and Anna Holligan travel to Mexico City and hear from a sports commentator, a domestic worker, journalists, newspaper editors and aspiring actresses. Mexican women are marching, calling on authorities to do more to combat the high rates of femicide - the murder of a woman because of her gender. Accusations of discrimination and harassment, most of them anonymous and in creative industries, have spread online. But what impact will the #MeToo movement have? Producers: Barney Rowntree and Ant Adeane Editor: Gloria Abramoff (Photo: Feminist students protest against femicide and violence against women in Mexico, Ibero University, Mexico City. Credit: Getty Images)

A British teenager has been given a four-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of lying about gang-rape in Cyprus. The 19-year-old was convicted following a trial after recanting a claim that she was raped in a hotel room in July. The woman has said Cypriot police made her falsely confess to lying about the incident at a hotel - something police have denied. Human rights groups and lawyers say she’s been failed by the Cypriot legal system. Some of the men and boys she first accused of raping her have been celebrated back in Israel where they come from. There’s a lot about this case that doesn’t make sense. In this episode BBC reporters Anna Holligan and Tom Bateman pick apart the case to try to find out what led to a sentence that has caused so much hurt and outrage. Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Duncan Barber and Seren Jones Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced a zero tolerance policy towards violence against women when he took office. But Rajini Vaidyanathan says that for many victims his promises ring hollow. According to the latest figures from India's National Crime Records Bureau there were 33,658 female rape victims in 2017 which means one woman was raped every 15 minutes - and those are just the official figures. Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been defending her government from accusations of genocide at the United Nation's top court in the Hague this week but Anna Holligan finds the former Nobel Peace Prize winner tight lipped when it comes to two words - rape and Rohingya. Viktor Orban's government has stopped funding for gender studies, calling them 'an ideology not a science'. The move has sent a chill down the spines of Hungarian academics says Angela Saini. In Haiti Thomas Rees tunes into the intimate and intense relationship between music, politics and protest And from the archive a memorable dispatch from the late Alex Duval Smith .... if you are worried whether your Christmas cards will arrive in time, spare a thought for Mali's most dedicated mailman who has to make deliveries in a city without postcodes.

A British woman is on trial in Cyprus, where she is accused of causing public mischief by allegedly falsely claiming to have been sexually assaulted at an Ayia Napa hotel in July. The woman has told the court she was raped, but then "forced" to retract her statement by the Cypriot police 10 days later. 12 young Israelis were arrested in connection with the allegations but were later released and returned home, where some of them celebrated with champagne at the airport. Tom Bateman and Anna Holligan have been following the story for the BBC. Presenter: Matthew Price Producer: Duncan Barber Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

Elections in Pakistan, religious divisions in the Balkans and an ode to an Ethiopian airport. Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories from around the world: Secunder Kermani looks back on the election campaign in Pakistan and assesses what it means for the country’s future. Anna Holligan travels around Bosnia - Herzegovina and finds that while the fighting may have ended more than twenty years ago, the country is even more religiously divided than it was before the war. Will Grant remembers a great man of Cuban radio - Raul Luis Galiano. As his family sort through the late broadcasters belonging they find a huge hoard of carefully preserved possessions – some useful, some of historical value and others surprisingly revealing. Mary Novakovich learns that while fish stocks are falling in Venice, local fishermen have stumbled on a new catch – tourists, and now take visitors out on expeditions to give them an idea of what life is like beyond the obvious attractions. And Horatio Clare has an apology to make; Addis Ababa Bole airport has not, as he predicted, turned out to be a huge waste of money – unnecessary and over the top. Instead, it has turned out to be a shrewd investment and a place that continues to fascinate him.

On July the 11th every year, the bodies of those who Sasa helped to identify over the past 12 months are re-buried in a Muslim service and Anna will witness the ceremony at the sprawling Potocari Cemetery and meet the families on a pilgrimage to honour the ones they loved and lost. Anna Holligan has listened to the details of unspeakable terror as the BBC’s correspondent in The Hague and will travel to the scenes of Mladic’s crimes to meet the Muslim families still haunted by the war of 25 years ago and the massacre of thousands at Srebrenica. Sasa was four years old when soldiers drove into his home town of Mostar – his family was a mix of Bosnian Muslim and Serbian Orthodox and the war ripped it apart. He is now a translator, and recently worked at the trial of Ratko Mladic. Samir Chosić is shovelling earth, a job that stirs his own painful memories of fleeing for his life, as thirty-five freshly dug graves readied for fragments of bones to be laid to rest. An estimated 12,000 people of all faiths, Muslims, Christians, Jews and others are still missing - feared slaughtered - right across this troubled Balkan territory. As she travels around Bosnia-Herzegovina, Anna witnesses a country officially at peace, but more religiously divided than it was before the war. Presented by Anna Holligan Photo title: The 11th July memorial at Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina Credit: BBC

Are most countries' policies on drugs irrational? From the tolerance of Holland and decriminalisation in Portugal to the Philippines, where President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdown on drug users and dealers has claimed thousands of lives, there is little international consensus.Presenter Manuela Saragosa speaks to David Nutt, professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, who says some drugs are less harmful than alcohol.She also speaks to Joao Goulao, one of the architects of Portugal's decriminalisation policy.And, the BBC's Anna Holligan reports on the rise of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, in Holland.(Photo: A woman contemplating pills. Credit: Getty Images)

In Copenhagen, on an upmarket shopping street, above a burger joint, two female imams are leading Friday prayers. The Mariam mosque is the first female led mosque in Scandinavia and one of only a handful worldwide. Anna Holligan travels to Denmark to meet its founder and imaamah, Sherin Khanhan. In building a feminist mosque Sherin hopes to revolutionize the traditional role of an imam and challenge some of the traditional patriarchal structures in Islam. Sherin argues that promoting female imams does not go against the teachings of Islam, but virtuously follows in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad who asked women to lead prayers in his own house mosque. Sherin’s interpretation of Islam has attracted criticism from leading scholars. Anna meets Professor Ebrahim Afash from the University of Copenhagen who accuses Sherin of diluting Islam. Professor Afash argues although the tiny mosque has received global attention by western media its impact upon Danish Muslims is insignificant. (Photo: Betina Garcia / Getty Images)

On Wednesday morning in Vienna OPEC is holding a meeting, aimed at halting the biggest decline in oil prices for a generation. Back in September, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reached a tentative agreement to restrict output - but they still haven't hammered out individual output targets for each nation. We spoke to Amrita Sen of Energy Aspects about the biggest and most influential producer - Saudi Arabia. The old certainties about politics in America have been turned on their heads, including the twin beliefs that organised labour delivers votes for the Democratic Party candidate, while evangelicals deliver votes for the GOP. This time round things were less cut and dried, as Mitchell Hartman of Marketplace reports. Lithium - or white petrol as it's becoming known - is a hot commodity. Demand for the metal could triple in the next ten years - driven particularly by a rise in demand for batteries in products like smartphones, laptops and electric cars. On Tuesday a group of leading carmakers - including Ford, BMW and Porsche - announced they wanted to build a Europe-wide network of charging stations for electric vehicles - and that's music to the ears of lithium producers like the Canadian firm Wealth Minerals. The company's chief executive Henk Van Alphen spoke to the BBC's Jon Bithrey. A group of American developers has chosen a patch of countryside in the Netherlands to build a self-sustainable eco-village. Its marketing pitch is pretty straightforward -off the grid and the ideal antidote to the crazy congested urban lifestyle, as Anna Holligan reports. (PHOTO CREDIT: OPEC logo shown at an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina/File Photo)

In January of this year the Food Standards Agency confirmed results showing horsemeat had been found in supermarket burgers. Over the next few days and weeks, more DNA testing would reveal more beef products contained horsemeat.Ten months on there have been no prosecutions or fines and we're still waiting to be told how the unlabelled horsemeat entered the food chain, and who put it there.Criminal investigations are underway across Europe, led in the UK by the City of London Police. Most public information on the scandal however has come from two sources, a report by Ireland's Department of Agriculture and secondly, the hours of evidence heard by MPs on the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.The Food Programme explains what we know from these sources and also why an out of court settlement between two companies reveals much about one of the meat supply chains from the Netherlands into the UK.The programme hears from the Guardian's Special Correspondent, Felicity Lawrence, whose updated book, Not On The Label, gives a detailed account of the scandal. Reporters Ella McSweeney and Anna Holligan give the latest developments in Ireland and the Netherlands. The Grocer magazine's Julia Glotz, explains how our shopping habits have changed since the scandal and why this proving to be a problem for companies with no involvement in the contamination.Where are the investigations heading and what chances of successful convictions? These are questions Sheila Dillon puts to Andrew Rhodes of the Food Standards Agency.The programme is produced by Dan Saladino.